Aquaculture

Salmon Welfare Feed Ingredients

Feed ingredient choices in salmon aquaculture affect both salmon welfare through nutrition and global welfare through wild fish sustainability.

Key Facts

Traditional salmon feed relied heavily on wild fish meal and oil
Plant proteins cause welfare problems including intestinal inflammation in salmon
Insect meal and single-cell proteins offer welfare-compatible alternatives
Omega-3 levels in farmed salmon have declined as wild fish content reduced

Welfare Considerations

Salmon fed diets high in plant proteins develop intestinal inflammation causing welfare compromise and reduced immune function. Wild fish-derived meal and oil support good salmon welfare but require sustainable sourcing. Novel ingredients including insect meal and single-cell proteins can match welfare outcomes with lower ecological footprint. Feed ingredient choices thus affect both farmed salmon welfare and the welfare of wild fish caught for aquaculture feed.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon certified to welfare standards including feed ingredient transparency
Support development of sustainable salmon feed alternatives
Advocate for feed sustainability and welfare standards in aquaculture certification
Back research into alternative protein sources for salmon feeds